Robert Breer’s What Goes Up... continues his “kitchen sink” approach of including as many different kinds of things as possible. Central to his art are a series of tensions. Rather than using animation to produce seamless illusions, his films reveal cinema’s dual nature as both an illusion of movement and a succession of stills. The ultimate effect of his work is ecstatic: by combining various rhythmic patterns, abstract and photographed shapes, and flatness mixed with depth illusions, Breer energizes ordinary eyesight. The whole world can seem more alive, alive with rhythms and colors and shapes and textures as well, after seeing one of his films. But Breer’s films also often have a theme of failure, of failed movements and failed aspirations, and the title What Goes Up..., in referencing the idiom “What goes up must come down”, refers to his childhood dreams of flying (illustrated here as in many of his films with airplanes) as well as to the limpness that follows orgasm
One of Grant's most interesting and important films is Color Sequence (1943) which consists only of pure solid-colour frames that fade, mutate and flicker. He made the film as a research into colour rhythms and perceptual phenomena, and although it now appears not only visually exciting but also as a precedent for the work of younger film-makers like Paul Sharits, Grant himself found the film to be too disquieting when it was first screened (cf. the Film Exercises), and it received little further play until the 70s.
Perhaps the only film whose content is totally based on the musical form known as canon. The first sequence is a simple demonstration of the canon "Frere Jacques" where four cubes dance and combine with one another on a checkerboard. The second sequence show four little human-like figures dancing in space. The third and most elaborate sequence shows a human going through several strange gesticulations. Through multiple printing we realize that the man, as in the previous sequences, is part of a visual canon and is making the gestures to himself. As we hear variations on the canonic theme so too do we witness visual variations: a woman and cat enters the canon. To show the musical technique of inversion, the image of the man is printed upside down.
Cupid (Elmer Fudd) is on the prowl around the farm. With his ever-accurate arrows, he spreads love to sometimes unwilling recipients. But when he sets his sights on Daffy, the duck wants no part of it. When Elm...erm...Cupid fires the largest arrow at his disposal at the hapless duck, Daffy falls for the nearest hen...who happens to be the main squeeze of the cock of the walk...
A dog named Rover explains to a Scottish Terrier named Sandy how he got his master. He went into a hotel room and bothered someone taking a bath--Porky Pig. Porky doesn't want Rover as a pet, no matter how many times Rover tries to make Porky adopt him.
A lucid dream turned nightmarish reality. A ship sinking into a world of fear. A short film that’s mostly puppetry by one of America's most prolific twentieth century artists.
Bugs is provoked by a pack of foxhounds and their hunters stampeding over his hole, so he gets out his Halloween costume from last year (a fox suit) and sets out to lead the dogs on a merry chase. The stupidest of the dogs, whose objective is to cut a fox's tail off, becomes his main victim; Bugs tricks him into chasing a train instead. He eventually tricks the dog pack into running off a cliff, but the stupid dog ends up with Bugs' tail.
Woody Woodpecker is running a babysitting service and is offered $50 by a couple if he will look after their baby. Woody jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, turns out the baby is an infant gorilla!
Sylvester Cat checks in to work at a museum with his son, Junior. He is bragging about his mouse-catching prowess when the baby kangaroo, Hippety Hopper, having escaped from the zoo, turns up in the museum. Sylvester and Junior, as usual, mistake Hippety for a giant mouse and chase him around the exhibits.
Wile E. Coyote is once again after the Road Runner, this time resorting to hand grenades, dynamite, falling rocks and a speed potion (which contains vitamins R, P and M).
Tweety Bird goes on a world tour with his mistress, Granny. And a hungry Sylvester Cat follows them everywhere they go (France, Japan, Switzerland, and Italy).
Daffy Duck vies with Porky Pig in the Western frontier hotel business. Porky has more success, attracting hordes of customers with a live-action saloon party. So, Daffy decides to undermine Porky's good fortune by planting a bomb beneath Porky's inn.
A spoiled-rotten monarch orders royal chef Yosemite Sam to make "Hasenpfeffer", the basic ingredient of which is rabbit. When Bugs comes to the door asking to borrow some carrots, Sam decides to cook him!
A horny hipster rooster, attracted to the hens in Foghorn Leghorn's barnyard, disguises himself as a baby foundling on Foghorn's doorstep. Foghorn adopts the girl-crazy rooster as his son, giving him access to all the chickens on the farm!
Perhaps because he's grown weary of chasing Jerry, Tom sets his sights on the house's goldfish. But the female goldfish is a friend of Jerry's, and the little mouse has a crush on her. When Jerry gets involved to rescue his friend, the usual confrontations with Tom begin.
A 5-year-old kid moves to stay with his grandma in a small town in Taiwan. Soon after, he discovers that not only is his grandma a food vendor, but she's also good at catching spectres. One day, he accidentally releases the most ferocious ghost, who sets loose the others...